Tag Archives: social media

The bullying began in fourth grade, and grew in the coming years to include verbal, social and cyber bullying. Hailey tried to handle it on her own by keeping everything bottled up inside, but that didn’t work. She tried to stand up for herself, but the voice inside herself told her she wasn’t good enough and that no matter what she did or said that she would still be wrong. Her parents tried to help, and she even told her teachers and the Principal. That only led to more aggressive bullying at school and online through social media, texting apps, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Finally, Hailey’s parents learned of notMYkid (pronounced: Not My Kid), a national non-profit organization based in Scottsdale that is focused on empowering and educating youth, families and communities with knowledge and courage to identify and prevent negative youth behavior. Hailey admits she was scared as she walked into the office with her parents the first time, but by the time she left Hailey says that she finally felt like someone understood her.

notMYkid provided Hailey and her family resources that helped to empower them in getting help. Hailey recalls, “With the help of not-MY-kid, I came through the situation a stronger, and more confident person. Now I can help other kids who maybe going through the same thing I did. I absolutely love working with not-MY-kid.”

Hailey’s positive experience led her to choose notMYkid to be the focus of her Bat Mitzvah project—which is an expectation of each Bar or Bat Mitzvah age child to donate their time and effort towards benefiting others and making the world a better place. By raising money and awareness for notMYkid, she hoped to help other kids going through the same situation.

notMYkid will be honoring Hailey as the 1st recipient of the Inspiring Young Philanthropists Award during its 2015 Gala: Back to the Boardwalk, which will be held on Friday, April 17 at 6:30pm.

The Gala, which will also celebrate notMYkid’s 15th Anniversary, will be held at the Yard in Tempe located at 149 South Farmer. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their retro carnival best. Event sponsors include First Check, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Crescent Crown Distributing, Oracle Ford, Fry’s Food Stores, Pfizer, Sundance Journey Healing Centers, Spellbinders, Schwartz Insurance, Henkel, Dorrance Family Foundation, Alliance Bank of Arizona and Snapbooth Entertainment.

Tickets starts at $250 with $175 being tax deductible. Please visit www.notmykid.org/gala to RSVP, donate or become a sponsor. Funds raised help support notMYkid’s mission to inspire positive life choices in youth/teens.

AZ Big Media is merging all of its social media accounts into one account for each social media platform to keep its readers better informed of the latest and most important business, real estate and lifestyle news.

Currently, AA Big Media is maintaining separate Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for each of its popular magazines, including Az Business, AZRE, Az Business Leaders, Ranking Arizona, Scottsdale Living and Experience AZ.

“People want to get all their news as quickly, accurately and as easily as possible,” said Ashley Incardone, digital coordinator for Az Big Media. “People simply don’t want to have to check multiple accounts, so we are responding to readers’ needs and merging our social media accounts into one account that will cover the most interesting stories and trends from all of our publications.”

All accounts will be merged into Az Big Media’s account, which can be found here:

The Twitter and Instagram official merge date is set for March 11 and Facebook is set to merge March 20. After these merging dates, the separate accounts will no longer exist and AZ Big Media will be the only account remaining on all platforms.

On the new account, followers can expect to see news on everything Arizona, from real estate to business to tourism to dining to financial planning.

“This merger is very exciting for us as a company because it will not only allow us to build our Web following as a whole, but it allows us to provide our readers and our partners with a single, strong and accurate online news source,” said Incardone. “I encourage our readers, followers of the old accounts, or anyone interested in following the state’s most sophisticated business and lifestyle news source, to follow AZ Big Media.”

Award-winning New York–based agency Havas PR has opened a full-service office in Phoenix. Primarily focusing on public relations, corporate communications, Hispanic media relations, social media and digital marketing, Havas PR has hit the ground running with several new clients.

In lieu of a grand opening celebration, Havas PR has decided to give back to its new community by hosting a strategy session on March 10 for local Arizona-based nonprofits. At this event, Community & Cause, Havas PR will offer each registered nonprofit a complimentary hourlong session with a practice lead.

The agency’s Hispanic practice, Conexiones, will now be housed in Phoenix and New York City. The Phoenix office will share the agency’s largest Hispanic account (a national retailer) and a global campaign on gender equality. Havas PR will also tap into its global research, creative and digital departments to support the Phoenix office.

“Our goal is to integrate ourselves into the Phoenix and Arizona culture and the minds of those who serve the area’s most vulnerable,” said Marian Salzman, CEO, Havas PR North America. “It will give us an opportunity to do well for others by doing good work.”

Havas PR was recently named AOR for Fox Restaurant Concepts, headquartered in Phoenix. Fox has 15 restaurant concepts and 39 locations throughout Arizona. “As we grow, it is important to have an agency partner that understands the growing complexities of hospitality,” said Anita Walker, vice president of marketing, Fox Restaurant Concepts. “Havas PR brings a global perspective and an understanding of what is important at the customer level—two insights that are critical to our business.”

Additionally, Havas PR will be representing the following clients out of the Phoenix office:
· SocialWhirled, an award-winning cloud-based platform that allows for easy creation of marketing and advertising campaigns across the social-mobile-digital landscape. Clients include many national brands, such as Pepsi, Walgreens, Intel and their agencies.
· Big Lots, a unique, nontraditional discount retailer operating 1,495 stores in 48 states with product assortments in the merchandise categories of food, consumables, furniture and home décor, seasonal, soft home, hard home, and electronics and accessories.
· Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law, long renowned for its work in helping to protect the rights of often-underserved communities.

Havas PR has made several new hires for the Phoenix office, including Angela Carrasco, who will be managing Hispanic media relations and social efforts, and Stephanie Clarke and Katie Snyder, who will manage accounts. The Arizona offer will be infused with Havas PR’s award-winning strategic tools, including its Red Thread newscrafting technique; the agency prides itself on creating stories that allow clients to be the news.

“Organizational footprints are expanding beyond just square footage,” stated Salzman. “We are discovering and engaging new consumer segments through social platforms, brand innovations and digital touch points. We will continue to go where the consumer leads us.”

To learn more about Havas PR Phoenix or to register for the nonprofit strategy session, contact Katie Snyder at 480-286-2411.

Headquartered in New York City, Havas PR has become one of the most-awarded PR agencies of its size, with more than 300 honors since 2009. With a presence in Boston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Providence, R.I., Havas PR now expands its reach to Phoenix. For more information, visit us.havaspr.com.

Waste Management, the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America, announced today the launch of the “Green in 15” social media video contest in advance of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. To enter the “Green in 15” contest, participants must creatively demonstrate how they will commit to going green in 2015, in 15 seconds or less, using Instagram’s video platform.

The contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older. Video submissions can be uploaded between Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:00:00 a.m. (midnight) EST and Jan. 25, 2015 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST. No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win. Purchase does not increase your chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Information on the official rules and eligibility are available on Waste Management’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wastemanagement.

Videos can be fun or serious, but must be uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #GreenIn15 and tag both @WasteManagement and @WMPhoenixOpen to be eligible. Video submissions will be judged on the following criteria: the effective communication of ideas around sustainability (illustrate one or all of the Four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover); creativity and originality; entertainment value and suitability of video content to be used by Waste Management.

Up to four finalists will be selected and their videos will be made available for popular online fan voting on Waste Management’s Facebook page during the Waste Management Phoenix Open tournament week from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1. The winner will be announced on Waste Management’s Facebook page on Monday, Feb. 2. Finalists will receive various prizes, including Waste Management Green Gear, solar powered phone chargers and other prizes. One grand prize winner will receive a “Green Your Home” experience from The Home Depot to be used toward the remodel or “greening” of the winner’s chosen living space.

To promote the video contest, Waste Management enlisted the support of notable PGA TOUR players including 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open champion, Kevin Stadler, 2014 Houston Open winner, Matt Jones, and others whose homemade promotional videos will be showcased throughout the contest.

“Waste Management developed the ‘Green in 15’ video contest to demonstrate to fans, followers and tournament attendees that making changes to go green isn’t just simple, but takes less than 15 seconds,” said Jim Trevathan, Waste Management executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Waste Management continues to leverage our title sponsorship of the Waste Management Phoenix Open to challenge consumers to make small changes in their daily lives and commit to a more sustainable lifestyle.”

The “Green in 15” video contest is one of the many ways that Waste Management continues to educate and engage consumers about sustainability at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a zero waste event. Waste Management will continue to promote the use of the hashtag #GreenestShow to provide an outlet for fans to share their green practices and support for sustainability and sports. Additionally, the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open will continue the “Zero Waste Challenge” for a fourth year as part of its goal to divert 100 percent of tournament waste away from landfills and into recycling and composting facilities.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is the first PGA TOUR tournament to achieve Gold Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its socially and environmentally responsible efforts in the planning and execution of the tournament. Waste Management continues to set the standard for “greening” sporting events and takes yet another step to expand social influence with the “Green in 15” video contest.

Snapping selfies and social media have changed life as we know it. Now, it’s changing the cosmetic surgery industry as we know it.

“Social media is causing people to take a close-up look at themselves,” said Pablo Prichard, M.D., senior partner at Advanced Aesthetic Associates and chief of plastic surgery at John C. Lincoln Hospital. “I’ve seen a trend of younger and younger patients over the last five years and a lot of that can be attributed to the impact of social media.”

Prichard said young people who are looking to raise their profile on image-based platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are coming in primarily for rhinoplasty, chin augmentation, lip augmentation and breast augmentation.

“People come in and will manipulate their facial features with smartphone applications and will actually come in with images of how they would like to look,” said Dr. Daniel Shapiro of Shapiro Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Skin Klinic in Scottsdale.

Shapiro said social media, LinkedIn and dating websites make it difficult to escape viewing a steady stream of images of yourself, which makes it easier to analyze flaws and imperfections. As a result, Shapiro has seen a 15 percent increase in patients because of selfie obsession.

“During the Recession, I saw a lot of people who were laid off and came in to invest in their appearance,” Shapiro said. “Now, people going through horrible divorces see themselves in selfies, see how much older they look and all of a sudden they have to be out there (and want to improve their appearance).”

After cosmetic surgery, Shapiro has seen many patients find significant other “pretty quickly” on sites like match.com and eHarmony. But even with those successes, Shapiro said the public needs to put things into perspective and avoid becoming obsessed with selfies.

“I think the obsession with social media is here to stay,” Shapiro said. “And I think it’s going to get even more and more popular.”

A fish with wings and a bird with fins, Creativ co-founder and president Blake Brinker is a man of many facets.

Brinker is only 30 years old, but he sits proudly atop the new social media site with a conscience, one that embodies creativity and builds an online social community for inspiration and change.

Creativ is an emerging social media site built similar in structure to its competitors with a new purpose. The site was built as an online community for creative minds to share with one another and inspire each other. It’s a social media site with hopes of creating real-life change and movement.

While the site is fascinating, Brinker, a prior medical school student who dropped out to help build it, steals the spotlight.

“I had to make a decision,” said Brinker with regards to leaving medical school. “I knew that I wanted to help people and that I wanted to be a positive source for people. I approached my dad and he made me think really hard. He just really made it clear. He told me that if I was a doctor I could only influence a certain number of people and if I did this right I could touch the whole world.”

Brinker had a pair of “really cool parents” who raised him in Oregon.

“I was raised outdoors on streams, lakes, mountains and oceans. My dad was a commercial fisherman. I was raised to let my imagination wander. Plus when you are living in the wild, you get sort of bored, so I really learned the value of imagination,” he said. “When I was younger, my mom was an artist so she made it okay to be an individual and my dad really nurtured my confidence.”

Medical school wasn’t the only thing Brinker left behind for a new career. He had stayed busy since he graduated from high school.

“When I graduated from high school, I really went into my exploration stage,” he said. “I went to college but nothing grabbed my attention so I dropped out. I then got my realtor’s license because my dad was doing that at the time, so I was going to work with him. After a few years of doing this, though, I discovered my genealogy and found I came from a long history in healing arts so I decided to study medicine. I went back to college, got a 4.0 and went to medical school.”

Everything changed for the different when he was visiting a friend in Arizona, who happened to be mutual friends with Creativ co-founder Brad Thomas. Brinker chose to spend one evening with a group of his friends’ friends and the two began talking and that same night decided on the idea of Creativ.

They both shared a passion and desire for a social media site different than the others, one built for a purpose of doing good.

“My inspiration is people and energy,” said Brinker.

His co-workers say his inspiration for people is seen in his everyday work.

“With Blake the people always come first and that is the most important thing anybody could ever know about him,” said Creativ’s Community Development Coordinator Emily Rudolph.

Rudolph spoke very highly of Brinker and said he is part of the reason she came to work for them.

“I was so attracted to the positivity and excitement from Blake that I wanted to join the team. Working alongside him everyday is empowering and he is one of the best leaders I have been able to work with.”

“I would not be involved in this if I didn’t believe that Blake had the rare elements needed to succeed. One of the things is openness. He is open to ideas and he is a guy who has vision. He is interested in history and the world. He is affable and approachable and he is a good communicator,” said Cyrell.

Perhaps the best to describe Brinker, however, was Brinker himself.

“My heart takes me the furthest because I genuinely give a shit and that is just who I am. I could be anywhere, doing anything, but I chose to be here,” he said.

Danielle Feroleto is the owner of Small Giants, a full-service marketing and business development firm in Phoenix, specializing in commercial real estate.

As we move tremendously close to 2015, most firms are in the midst of planning. And this planning is getting much more exciting for many as the key indicators of the economy are generally improving.

I will recap the many strategic planning sessions I have participated in over the last six-plus difficult economic years…”We are going to wait on that”….”Let’s wait”…”We’ve decided to wait for now.” Let’s dust off the list of the most commonly mothballed marketing projects that are in desperate need of activation in most firms:

Strategic Marketing Plans—Focus is essential and how do you get focus without a documented plan? The process of authoring this plan is the best part because it is a time to build consensus, energize the activities that will differentiate your firm and dream a little. The structure of this plan includes trends that impact your firm, competitor analysis, baseline measurements, and measured and tracked goals. This is the foundation of any healthy company and the best marketing ideas result from this process.

Client Surveys—Forget the bad economy as a reason to “wait” on client surveys; firms in general are in desperate need of tracking and internally communicating the client experience. There are a variety of ways to measure how your company is performing—it could be based on projects, from a strategic perspective or a perception survey to give insight to better refine their organization or processes.

Website—The average “shelf life” of a website is 1.5 years…Yours is out of date; very out of date! Now that we have established that, you can move forward with creating a fully mobile responsive, fast, social sharing, contemporary website that serves as a resource for clients and prospects.

Photography—These past years afforded many firms the opportunity to diversify and expand their services and your prospects might not be aware of the markets you serve or all of the services you now provide. It is time to schedule your project and people to get photographed and post these in your office, in eblasts, direct mails and websites. Go ahead, appease the visually-oriented society that we are now—don’t just tell them, show them!

Social Media—You have waited long enough, and nope, it’s not going away. Even if the 20-something in your office has “got it covered” a firm’s full engagement is essential. Are you going to create a social culture or not? This requires a policy, training, a plan and consistent execution. It is not difficult and very inexpensive…but it is overdue.

If you are gearing up for a great year and want to shed a few things, we recommend looking at all of the marketing projects that are long overdue and yet so beneficial to the continued success and growth of your firm.

Let’s face it; social media is a part of our everyday lives. And yes, there is a difference between being on social media as a person and a business.

Consumers are now relying on social media to keep in touch with a business, or to learn about their new product, promotion or event. As a business, no matter how big or small, social media can increase your following and brand recognition.

Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of social media:

1. Consistency – post on a regular basis so people have a reason to follow you. For example, a fitness company that posts great workout tips every week is probably going to have more followers than a company that posts a few times a month. The more active you are with your posts, the more you will be top of mind for consumers.

2. Engagement – be sure to like and respond to your followers. It is not necessary to respond to every single comment you get, but it is important to address any issues or questions that you may get on a post. People like to know they are being heard and appreciated.

3. Analytics – review your stats on a regular basis to see what is working and what isn’t and adjust your strategy accordingly. If you notice posts with photos get more likes or shares, it will be more beneficial for you to do more posts with photos than without, etc. The more that you post what is being liked, the more likes and engagement you will get on future posts.

4. Be active – and that does not mean just with your own posts! Make sure you follow and share other businesses and people’s posts. Find likeminded businesses and share their tips or motivational post. The more you engage with other business, the more visibility you will have, because chances are they will start sharing your posts.

5. Stay trendy – stay in the moment! If you have a relevant post to go along with a popular hashtag or trending topic, post it! Consumers like to see that you are “in the know” and can be versatile in your posts. Yes, posting about your business is the reason you are on social media, but posting something that is trending and current will help you connect with your target audience.

Using these five tips will help you get your businesses social media off the ground and connected a little more with your audience.

Barbi Reuter named COO of C&W | PICOR

Barbi Reuter, PICOR

At its September Shareholder meeting, Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR named Barbi Reuter its Chief Operating Officer (COO), formalizing her work over the past several years.

Reuter has been with C&W | PICOR since its inception in 1985, a Shareholder since 1992, and has been an integral and critical part of the success enjoyed by the Tucson-based commercial real estate services firm throughout its growth in community market share and leadership.

As COO, Reuter leads the internal finances and operations of C&W | PICOR in addition to her externally-facing roles as the firm’s interface with Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., community and industry outreach, marketing business development, and social media.

President and CEO, Mike Hammond says, “Barbi has met and exceeded all expectations over the last 29 years and will no doubt continue to contribute greatly to the success of C&W | PICOR in this role.” Rob Glaser, CCIM, SIOR, says of his long-time C&W | PICOR colleague, I have worked with Barbi since C&W | PICOR was founded in 1985. She is very skilled, creative, and caring, and we are very fortunate to have her.”

Named a 2012 Woman of Influence by Inside Tucson Business, Reuter is a past local and national leader for BOMA International and is now active with the Tucson Metro Chamber, CREW Network, Women Presidents’ Organization, Greater Tucson Leadership, Arizona Town Hall, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Tucson’s Leading Women, PICOR Charitable Foundation, and is Board President for Tucson Girl Chorus and a Tucson CREW board member and Past President.

When Beyoncé released her self-titled album late last year, she didn’t go through any of the traditional promotional means, which she called boring. Instead, she simply posted a video featuring the new album cover and pictures of her with the caption “Surprise!” on Instagram.

That was enough for Beyoncé, one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Within the two days of that post, more than 430,000 “Beyoncé” albums were sold on iTunes for
$15.99 per download.

Of course, the wildly popular album would have been a hot product no matter how Beyoncé chose to promote it, but the story is yet another testament to the power of social media, says marketing entrepreneur Robert Danard, CEO of Spriza, Inc., www.spriza.com, a global social network for group prizes from major brands.

“It’s no secret that the 18- to 34-year-old demographic is the most coveted one – they are the future of any product, and if you want to reach them, then you have to have a social media strategy,” says Danard, who started his career a decade ago by founding an early social media site.

“Beyoncé saved her record company plenty of money in traditional promotions, which would have been all but useless since her target audience is on social media.”

Danard discusses social media marketing and the trends that are currently unfolding.

• The “attention economy:” This refers to the demand for companies to focus on multiple social media sites, and the underlying human need to be validated through acknowledgement. How do young adults define their worth? Increasingly, it’s through the numbers of “likes,” “re-tweets” and “follows” they get on social media. Companies that acknowledge and engage with individual users in real time help validate their self worth and quickly turn them into brand fans.

• Creating winning circles of friends: Brands increasingly are recognizing the power of social media recommendations from friends. This referral process can be harnessed by offering real value, and incentives, to those who make recommendations. Danard points to his own site, Spriza (as in “surprise”), which encourages sharing by offering a memorable experience to the winner and the friends with whom he or she shared. For instance, a grand prize currently up for grabs will award 10 winners $1,000 cash each. All entrants will also have a chance to participate in the contingent (game of chance) draw to win a condo valued at $150,000.

• The future of customer service: Millennials trust the social media format, despite its potential for fraud and misrepresentation, more than government, businesses or religious institutions, according to a recent report by the global public relations firm Edelman. Many companies, including American Airlines, are focusing more of their customer service resources to answer complaints via social media. This can speed complaint resolution, and it makes businesses and their customer service departments more accountable because users can see when, if and how complaints are resolved.

• Socially enriched sales: People like to be engaged online, and they like to buy things, but they don’t like to be sold products in the traditional way. Companies currently experiencing the most success online are not lazy about it; they don’t buy fake friends and followers. They engage, entertain, nurture relationships and build on shared values with their outreach.

Maricopa Community Colleges have reached a milestone in connecting with the community through social media. To date, Maricopa Community Colleges has been “liked” or “followed” upwards of 50,000 times across their top three platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Facebook makes up the bulk of engaged community members, having just reached 40,000 followers today. By comparison, the Facebook page had fewer than 1,000 followers in mid-2012.

“People respond most positively to good, relevant content,” said Natalie Vaughn, Online Marketing and Social Media Manager for Maricopa Community Colleges. For instance, many people flocked to the social media pages around the time that the District celebrated its 50th Anniversary. “The majority of people in Maricopa County have either been a student or know a student of a Maricopa Community College. So we give people easy access to important, fun, historical, and current information about what’s going on right around them.”

Social media is an increasingly successful way for public agencies and private companies to do business because it allows direct interaction with customers. “We continue to see a high volume of engagements (e.g., likes, shares, retweets) so we know our social community is engaged,” said Vaughn.

Connect with the Maricopa Community Colleges and all of the ten colleges on Facebook, Twitter (@mcccd), and LinkedIn.

Jaburg Wilk attorney Laura Rogal will be presenting at the fourth annual Social Media Day Phoenix on June 28th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.

Rogal will present the first seminar: “The Not-So-Fine Line of Social Media & Copyright Infringement.” In this presentation, she will discuss the potential legal issues associated with using content from public websites on one’s social platforms. She will share best practice suggestions for avoiding problems online associated with defamation, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and brand protection. Rogal will give the attendees a forum to ask questions and will parlay real-world experience into scalable scenarios for all users of social media.

Other speakers include Kevin Spidel, director of agency services at Voice Media Group as well as Allison Michaels of Yammer/Microsoft, Monique Shaldjian of QtheBrand and Jim Simmons with CDS Insurance Agency. Following the sessions, participants will network and socialize.

Social Media Day was created by social media giant Mashable in 2010 to celebrate the digital revolution, and has grown tremendously since its inception. Today, Social Media Day (#SMDay) has transformed into a worldwide celebration that is recognized by more than 100 countries, six continents and 17 U.S. cities.

Enterprise Bank & Trust, focused on the financial needs of privately-held businesses, their owner families, executives and professionals, announces its spring 2014 Enterprise University course schedule providing free educational seminars on a variety of relevant topics for business owners and their leadership.

“We’ve received outstanding feedback from Enterprise University participants the last two years and are delighted to debut our new format and dynamic speakers this semester,” said Enterprise Bank & Trust Arizona Region Chairman Jack Barry. “We’re pleased to offer the Phoenix business community an opportunity to learn from leading Valley professionals and the chance to share ideas and network in this engaging and interactive setting.”

All courses are held at Phoenix Country Club located at 2901 N 7th St, in Phoenix. Classes are free, but registration is required. For additional information and to register visit www.enterprisebank.com/eu.

For decades, the devastating effects of repeated concussions on the health of professional athletes was a well-kept secret – until it exploded into a national controversy. As investigative journalists reported scientific evidence of the long-term impact of head injuries on NFL players, the focus soon shifted to high school athletes. How could we protect their health and safety?

Arizona was an early adopter of protection for high school athletes. In 2011, the state legislature passed a law requiring coaches to remove high school athletes from play if they even so much as suspect a concussion. The law requires that the athlete must obtain written clearance from a medical professional, like a physician or athletic trainer, in order to return to the sport.

State legislators also called for preventive measures that would make it mandatory for high school coaches, students and parents to complete concussion-education programs. To comply with the law, the Arizona Interscholastic Association deemed that every high school athlete in the state must complete Barrow Brainbook. This interactive, online training was developed in part by Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

But the real brains behind Barrow Brainbook belong to Arizona State University educational technology doctoral student Robert Christopherson.

“Over 180,000 high school athletes in the State of Arizona have benefitted from the knowledge of Robert Christopherson,” said Dr. Javier Cárdenas, neurologist and brain injury expert who is director of St. Joseph’s B.R.A.I.N.S. Clinic. “Robert’s expertise in educational technology is the primary reason Barrow Brainbook has not only successfully taught high school athletes about concussion dangers, but has become the most successful concussion education program in the country.”

When he began his research, Christopherson noticed immediately that most available concussion education programs targeted coaches and parents, but few addressed the athletes themselves. From the start, he said the directive from Cárdenas was empowering youth to assess the situation and be part of the decision-making process. Today, Barrow Brainbook remains the only concussion education program in the nation directed at high school athletes.

To engage the young athletes, Christopherson considered social media for two reasons. First, research showed that student behavior online and in classrooms was becoming increasingly similar. Second, it was important to deliver concussion instruction close to where the head injuries happen. Teaching the athletes on the football field was not an option, so the researcher had to come up with an equally effective venue.

“So we decided to make a pseudo-Facebook,” he explained. “We created an environment that looks like Facebook, has a lot of the same social network interactions and includes characters that represent those people who influence the athletes most – peers, role models including NFL players and college athletes, and doctors.”

A California firm that helps companies connect with customers through social media says it has opened a Phoenix office and plans to hire more than 200 employees within three years.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer touted Tuesday’s announcement by Mountain View, Calif.-based Gigya as the latest sign that her efforts to cut business tax rates and regulations is drawing new companies to the state.

Gigya CEO Patrick Salyer says the fast air access between Phoenix and the Silicon Valley, ease of setting up shop and available trained workforce made Phoenix the company’s top choice. The company will receive $450,000 for training from the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Salyer says the company has begun hiring and expects to have 50 sales, account and client management employees here by the end of the year.

In today’s world, I find it interesting that social media has become prevalent in most small businesses. For me, this ever-changing medium is intimidating and trying to keep up with it can feel like a full-time job – especially for someone like myself who has often stumbled with understanding how it all works; and the new learning tools haven’t helped!

My attempts to navigate this world have made me feel like a really small fish in a very big pond. I often wonder: do I really need these platforms or am I just following a trend?! We have all been told that it is essential to manage all or at least the top six social media platforms. Here is my challenge with this concept. Since I have neither the time nor expertise to manage all of these accounts, what is the best course of action for someone in my position ( social media inept and exhausted) to successfully tackle Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, and now Fancy? Oh, let’s not forget, I also need an engagement strategy for each platform. Yikes!

Choose one platform: Find a social media platform that suits your style and create a strategy that works with and not against your busy schedule.Hire an expert: Don’t try and be the jack of all trades. Instead of trying to become the expert, if you have the budget, hire one. Remember your audience wants to hear your voice. Make sure you agree with the message that is delivered in your name.Cut yourself a break: You don’t have to know how to do it all, but you should be able to make it easy for yourself and your clients to get everything they need.If you choose to use more than one medium, don’t tackle it all in one day. Use a collaborative tool like Hootsuite or sproutsocial and turn off your alerts.Don’t take yourself so seriously: I love this excerpt from my favorite blog: “It really is true that the more time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc., the more you get sucked in, and after thousands of hours in online communities, one day it hits you: You started counting retweets and you started worrying about your engagement score on Facebook. Somehow, somewhere, you got … serious!” via CopyBlogger.It’s okay to make mistakes: I have heard about bloggers being ridiculed for grammatical errors! We all need to get over ourselves. The next time you worry about making a mistake or find one in someone else’s work, think of this quote: “When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target,” Fisher, Geoffrey F.Stop competing with your friends: Are your friends more popular than you, do they have hundreds of followers and friends and you have little or none? This is not a competition! The point of social media is to connect and engage your clients. Focus on businesses that interact with you. It’s true that quantity does not equal the best quality.Don’t waste your time: Make sure social media is appropriate for your business- Mashable released an article about 10 successful small businesses that do not use social media.Know when to shut it off: Your business won’t fail if you take a two week break. Learn to manage your time correctly. Offline is always more important than online! Don’t miss life’s most important moment in your quest to memorializing events for your social pages.

I cannot deny that these media platforms are here to stay and can be a significant factor in the growth and success of any business. Well, I guess it’s time to take my own advice. Here’s to meeting you online!

According to a new survey by The Creative Group, more than six in 10 (62 percent) advertising and marketing executives interviewed said they expect companies to increase their spending on Facebook marketing in the next 12 months. This is up from 53 percent who planned to boost their Facebook budget one year ago. Executives also anticipate companies will channel more marketing dollars toward LinkedIn (51 percent) and Google Plus (50 percent), up from 38 percent and 41 percent of respondents, respectively, last year.

The national survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm.

R&R Partners has hired five people to keep pace with its accelerated growth.

According to vice president and managing director, Matt Silverman, the agency is already outgrowing its 13,000-square-foot space in downtown Phoenix and plans to move into a renovated 26,000-square-foot historic warehouse located at Second and Buchanan streets in 2014.

To manage new and expanding business from clients, including APS, Health & Wealth Raffle, Valley Metro, Cox Communications and others, the agency has added new staff members including the following:

Emily Ginzl, Group Account Director
At R&R Partners, Emily Ginzl oversees the strategic planning and tactical execution of all Phoenix accounts, including APS, Valley Metro, the Health & Wealth Raffle, and more. She leads and manages the Phoenix account management team, while keeping her finger on the pulse of current issues and trends impacting R&R’s clients. In addition, Ginzl works to identify and pursue new business opportunities for R&R.

Stefan Swenson, Designer
Stefan Swenson is a graphic designer who fulfills the creative executions for many of R&R Partners’ clients. He enjoys translating ideas into viable design concepts. Most recently, he worked as a graphic designer for a boutique advertising agency in Tempe. Swenson is also well-versed in search engine optimization and business development.

Gerald Bohulano, Assistant Account Executive
Gerald Bohulano assists in the execution of strategic communication plans and advertising campaigns for R&R Partners. Bohulano is also a member of the Youth Initiatives Board for the city of Phoenix and acts as communications coordinator for the Equality Arizona Gala.

AJ Montgomery, Assistant Account Executive
AJ Montgomery assists in the execution of client marketing plans for R&R Partners. He started his career as an intern at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts before taking on greater responsibility at two other advertising agencies in town.

April Burke, Traffic Manager
As traffic manager for R&R Partners, April Burke manages the scheduling, assignment and trafficking of all creative projects from beginning to end. She is a strong communicator and excels at keeping everyone organized to ensure all jobs are completed correctly. In the past, Burke worked as a project manager for a well-known branding agency in Scottsdale.

R&R Partners has hired five people to keep pace with its accelerated growth.

According to vice president and managing director, Matt Silverman, the agency is already outgrowing its 13,000-square-foot space in downtown Phoenix and plans to move into a renovated 26,000-square-foot historic warehouse located at Second and Buchanan streets in 2014.

To manage new and expanding business from clients, including APS, Health & Wealth Raffle, Valley Metro, Cox Communications and others, the agency has added new staff members including the following:

Emily Ginzl, Group Account Director
At R&R Partners, Emily Ginzl oversees the strategic planning and tactical execution of all Phoenix accounts, including APS, Valley Metro, the Health & Wealth Raffle, and more. She leads and manages the Phoenix account management team, while keeping her finger on the pulse of current issues and trends impacting R&R’s clients. In addition, Ginzl works to identify and pursue new business opportunities for R&R.

Stefan Swenson, Designer
Stefan Swenson is a graphic designer who fulfills the creative executions for many of R&R Partners’ clients. He enjoys translating ideas into viable design concepts. Most recently, he worked as a graphic designer for a boutique advertising agency in Tempe. Swenson is also well-versed in search engine optimization and business development.

Gerald Bohulano, Assistant Account Executive
Gerald Bohulano assists in the execution of strategic communication plans and advertising campaigns for R&R Partners. Bohulano is also a member of the Youth Initiatives Board for the city of Phoenix and acts as communications coordinator for the Equality Arizona Gala.

AJ Montgomery, Assistant Account Executive
AJ Montgomery assists in the execution of client marketing plans for R&R Partners. He started his career as an intern at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts before taking on greater responsibility at two other advertising agencies in town.

April Burke, Traffic Manager
As traffic manager for R&R Partners, April Burke manages the scheduling, assignment and trafficking of all creative projects from beginning to end. She is a strong communicator and excels at keeping everyone organized to ensure all jobs are completed correctly. In the past, Burke worked as a project manager for a well-known branding agency in Scottsdale.

Research and analytics firm Blueocean Market Intelligence announced it received a 2013 Bees Award for its proprietary Social Media Effectiveness Index (SEI) in the category of “Best Social Media Marketing Theory.”

SEI is a ranking methodology developed by Blueocean Market Intelligence that measures a company’s social media effectiveness with a singular, representative score. It takes a business’ key metrics into account, such as a brand’s share of voice, customer engagement rate, customer touch rate, number of brand influencers and advocates, and net sentiment.

“Most companies use popular traditional analytics tools to measure social media efforts. However, those tools rely on unreliable data, inaccurate sentiment analytics and a lack of in-depth analysis,” said Blueocean Market Intelligence Chief Executive Officer Kumar Mehta. “Blueocean’s SEI model was built to help companies move beyond basic data and generate actionable insights derived from refined social intelligence.”

The Bees Awards is the first international social media competition honoring communication and marketing professionals. Practitioners in more than 50 countries have submitted entries since the awards program’s inception in 2010.

Blueocean Market Intelligence utilized its SEI to compile a 2013 ranking assessing the social media effectiveness of global Fortune 100 companies. The company plans to compile and publish the second biannual ranking later this summer.

“It’s critical that companies understand and monitor the social media landscape, and develop a tangible process to measure their return and achieve accelerated growth,” said Mehta. “With SEI, companies can completely align their activities with core business objectives, create impact across all functions to drive growth and profitability, and harness the true potential of social media.”

To learn more about Blueocean’s Social Media Effectiveness Index and download a case example based on a leading technology brand, visit www.blueoceanSEI100.com.

Research and analytics firm Blueocean Market Intelligence announced it received a 2013 Bees Award for its proprietary Social Media Effectiveness Index (SEI) in the category of “Best Social Media Marketing Theory.”

SEI is a ranking methodology developed by Blueocean Market Intelligence that measures a company’s social media effectiveness with a singular, representative score. It takes a business’ key metrics into account, such as a brand’s share of voice, customer engagement rate, customer touch rate, number of brand influencers and advocates, and net sentiment.

“Most companies use popular traditional analytics tools to measure social media efforts. However, those tools rely on unreliable data, inaccurate sentiment analytics and a lack of in-depth analysis,” said Blueocean Market Intelligence Chief Executive Officer Kumar Mehta. “Blueocean’s SEI model was built to help companies move beyond basic data and generate actionable insights derived from refined social intelligence.”

The Bees Awards is the first international social media competition honoring communication and marketing professionals. Practitioners in more than 50 countries have submitted entries since the awards program’s inception in 2010.

Blueocean Market Intelligence utilized its SEI to compile a 2013 ranking assessing the social media effectiveness of global Fortune 100 companies. The company plans to compile and publish the second biannual ranking later this summer.

“It’s critical that companies understand and monitor the social media landscape, and develop a tangible process to measure their return and achieve accelerated growth,” said Mehta. “With SEI, companies can completely align their activities with core business objectives, create impact across all functions to drive growth and profitability, and harness the true potential of social media.”

To learn more about Blueocean’s Social Media Effectiveness Index and download a case example based on a leading technology brand, visit www.blueoceanSEI100.com.

I was never a fan of the cocktail party-variety networking scene. I will never be one to dart around a room shoving business cards into people’s hands. I prefer meaningful conversations with people, getting to know them and vice versa.

But social media networking? That’s something different altogether. Done right, it’s never a hit-and-run. Rather, it consists of building relationships over months and even years by sharing information – both professional and personal – through posts, comments and responding to questions in various online communities.

What’s the return on investment, the ROI, for putting that kind of time into social media? Actually, it’s called the RON – the “return on networking.”

And for me, it’s huge.

I’ve been on Facebook for five years; I also have Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn accounts, among others. All totaled, I’m now approaching 100,000 friends, followers and connections. Those followers expose my name and message to their audiences every time they “like” one of my posts or share one of my links. Recently, someone re-tweeted something I’d shared on Twitter – he had 130,000 followers! That’s a potential audience of 130,000 people I likely would have never reached otherwise.

Talk about exposure!

Who knows how many of those people may someday become my clients? Who cares? I’ll still consider the exposure a good return on networking. Here’s why.

The RON of social media isn’t always tangible, not immediately, anyway. By establishing a continued presence online through regularly sharing content of use to my followers, I’m building my platform and my reputation as an expert. That grows in surprising ways – and it lives in surprising places.

A recent case in point: Late last year, I got a call from a prominent New York City hair stylist, the director of a salon in one of that city’s premier department stores. He wanted to talk about some publicity needs and what my company could do to help him.

When I asked how he got my name, he explained he’d written some books over the years with a co-author, and she’d heard me at a speaking engagement.

Well, that made sense. Speaking at conferences is still a great way to get your name out while also building credibility.

But the next thing he said came as a complete surprise.

“So, then I contacted the corporate office (of the department store chain) and asked what PR agency they would recommend.” And they recommended me and my company!

I don’t know a soul in the corporate offices of that high-end retail chain. I can only guess they learned of me through social media.

Just being on Twitter or Google+ isn’t enough, of course. You have to make a diligent effort to regularly post content that people find valuable, including links to informative articles, tips relevant to your topic, and/or informed insights on topics in the news.

You also have to “be a human,” as our lead social media strategist, Jeni Hinojosa, likes to say. She and our other social media producers encourage clients to send photos when they go on vacation, celebrate milestones or engage in hobbies. Posting those photos with a comment adds a personal touch that allows followers to connect on a more emotional level.

Our social media producers also make sure clients’ personalities shine in their posts, showing their sense of humor and letting followers in on the other things they care about, whether it’s victims of a natural disaster or a favorite charity.

Interaction is equally important. Strive to respond to every comment or question posted on your networking sites. Interacting is engaging, and people who are engaged tend to be happy followers. The more you take part in conversations via comments and responses, the more lively and visible your presence becomes.

The RON includes increased traffic to your website; increased trust in your brand and what you’re selling; and greater word of mouth than you could ever hope for by attending a cocktail party or even a speaking engagement.

Marsha Friedman is a 23-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations, a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI’s PR Insider every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST.

Over the next few weeks, college students across the country will graduate and embark on their next step in life: finding a job. What many students fail to realize is that in today’s world of social media, their online reputation can make or break their candidacy for a position.

TrustedID, the nation’s most comprehensive identity protection and reputation management service, offers some easy tips for recent graduates to protect and manage their online reputation:

· Delete Digital Dirt: Many students’ social media pages are littered with digital dirt such as incriminating photos or inappropriate links. Be sure to wipe this all clean before beginning a job search.

· Privatize Profiles: Graduates can privatize their profiles on many social media sites to control who can view it. Remember that social media lives forever – just because comments and photos are deleted doesn’t mean they are gone. It may be a private profile, but it’s a public site. Always assume that what goes up will be seen by the world.

· Google Yourself: See the top 10 results on Google for your name; often recruiters only view the first page of results. If a graduate sees negative results, they should consider creating new positive profile content which can outshine the harmful results.

· Positive Spin: Potential employers can get an impression of a candidate’s personality through their social media profiles. Graduates should highlight achievements inside and outside of work and try to block any negative comments or photos.

· Follow the Leader: Follow key luminaries or potential mentors in your field on social media. This will show employers that you are passionate about the job and excited to learn.

· LinkedIn Logic: Create a strong LinkedIn profile since many recruiters use LinkedIn to fill positions. With over 200 million users, it is also a great way to establish and build business relationships in your desired field.

Most businesses understand and embrace the value of building their organic search rankings on Google, but the value of pay-per-click or PPC advertising is often misunderstood and underestimated. While high organic search rankings are a great way to drive traffic and increase exposure for any business, there are only 10-16 spots available on the first page of Google for any given search term. In most industries, hundreds of businesses will be vying for those coveted first page Google results, and PPC ads give all businesses the ability to gain exposure on the first page of Google for local search terms.

Businesses can also run PPC ads through a variety of other mediums like Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, and LinkedIn. This makes it possible to target your ideal customers and experiment with different platforms to see which one generates the highest click through and conversion rates.

Reasons to Consider Utilizing Pay-Per-Click Advertising

PPC is a powerful marketing tool for all businesses. For companies that don’t have high organic rankings for relevant local search terms, PPC can provide a way to achieve better visibility and leverage your online assets. For start-ups or businesses that are just beginning to ramp up their SEO efforts, PPC can provide an additional revenue stream, and even businesses with an established presence on search engines can generate additional revenue through PPC ads.

Another great reason to consider running a PPC campaign is because you can set the budget, which means you can start small to analyze your return and then grow it once you find a strategy that works for you. Most businesses hire an experienced search engine marketer to help them set up and manage their PPC campaign, as these marketers know the ins and outs of PPC advertising and can establish cost-effective and successful ad campaigns.

Search engine marketing may also play a role in organic search rankings due to the increase in clicks and exposure a website will get from PPC advertising. Since organic rankings are based on relevance and popularity, PPC ads can help improve the website’s popularity score through Google and bolster search engine optimization efforts.

Top Tips for Running a PPC Campaign

Beginning a PPC campaign can be a little confusing at first if you’ve never worked with the programs before, but by utilizing the following tips, you can get the most from your paid advertising efforts.

#1. Keep it Local

For local businesses, bidding on key phrases that are targeted to your geographic area can be extremely beneficial in driving traffic that will eventually lead to a conversion. Location specific keywords often have less competition, so marketers can get more bang for their buck by choosing a geographically targeted keyword as opposed to a generic keyword. If you need assistance selecting the keyword phrases that will result in the highest ROI, consult a PPC marketer to help you establish your campaign and perform appropriate keyword research.

#2. Expand Beyond Google

When most people think of PPC advertising, they think of Google AdWords. While Google AdWords is a great tool to gain exposure and visibility for your business, there may be other venues that offer advertising in the pay-per-click model that could yield better results. Some companies have success advertising on Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. Assess where your target market spends their time and how they would search for your business to determine whether you should branch out to other PPC advertising mediums.

#3. Measure Your Success

Once you start your PPC campaign, make sure to keep track of your progress so that you can make adjustments and improvements where necessary. This may include testing your ads using different keywords, experimenting with different ad text, and utilizing advanced targeting options so that you can reach the customers that will be most interested in what you have to offer. An expert in search engine marketing can help to analyze your metrics to determine the best strategy for your campaign’s success.

By implementing a few of these key tips and reaching out for help from an experienced search engine marketing firm, you can harness the power of paid advertising to increase sales, drive more website traffic, and improve conversion rates.

If you would like to learn more about how to implement a local Pay-Per-Click campaign for your business, please contact Net-Craft.com at 480-563-0558 for a free PPC consultation.